Improvised Weaponry
If characters get into an unexpected fracas, and they don’t have weapons handy, what weapons will they use? The answer, whatever is closest. The environment is an open weapons case, and it doesn’t even require a whole lot of creativity. When two desperate souls are pummeling each other in a kitchen, it won’t be long before one of them reaches for that frying pan full of hot grease. Or a kitchen knife. Or even the mop leaning up against the counter. The point is, weapons can be found anywhere for those desperate enough to need them.
What happens when a hunted mortal hits his vampire predator with an Art Deco gazelle made of heavy brass? Or when the housewife tries to beat a red-eyed rabid dog to death with the flat end of a garden shovel? What about when some poor bastard has no other choice but to defend himself with a toaster oven, a half-chewed femur or a running chainsaw? The pen can be mightier than the sword, after all — especially when jammed into somebody’s carotid artery.
Unless otherwise noted, all improvised weapons incur a –1 penalty to the wielder’s attack roll. For convenience, this penalty has already been incorporated into the Traits given on the weaponry chart and in the text below.
Like most melee weapons, any improvised weapon has a Strength requirement equal to its Size. If the user does not meet the minimum Strength, she takes a –1 (or more; see p. 21) penalty to attacks using that item.
For weapons not listed below, an item’s Damage rating is usually equal to its Durability or Size (whichever is lower), with an additional –1 for the improvised weapon penalty.
The Storyteller may allow an individual the chance to gauge which items around him would make the best weapons. The player should roll Wits + Weaponry to determine which object nearby is the most suitable choice. An exceptional success on this roll may allow the character to ignore the normal –1 penalty associated with using improvised weaponry. Assessing nearby objects with this roll, however, takes a full turn.
Of course, people don’t usually go into Home Depot looking for weapons. Most times, a tool ends up as a default possibility for some unfortunate, unarmed victim. A man beset by unknowable things might lock himself in the shed out back of his house, scrabbling to get hold of something, anything, with which to ward them off. Whatever he grabs, it’s important to know just how this newfound weapon will act in combat.
An optional rule invoked at the Storyteller’s discretion is that a player may ignore the improvised weapon penalty (for tools only) provided her character has a requisite Crafts ••• score. This ability in Crafts may counterbalance and thus nullify the improvised penalty for tools used as weapons, as the character is arguably comfortable using them for whatever purpose, however grim. For most tools, this means +1 to the Damage rating listed below.
As discussed, the first thing to do is to determine whether or not the stats can be approximated in comparison to an already existent weapon. A frying pan is metal, but probably not heavy enough to serve as a mace. It’s likelier that a frying pan’s stats are closer to a wooden club instead. On the other hand, an iron skillet is sure to be heavier and denser than a normal frying pan, and probably does have the statistics of a metal mace. Most of this is a case of give-and-take, of making on-the-fly decisions about how closely a found object fits with the statistics of pre-existing weapon design. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of impromptu stats.
Some spur-of-the-moment weaponry doesn’t really match any of the current objects listed, however. Many of these improvised objects are listed below, and feature properties that make them unique. Feel free to pepper the battlefield (whether it’s a kitchen, an abandoned barn or a local watering hole) with these articles to help complicate close combat.
What happens when a hunted mortal hits his vampire predator with an Art Deco gazelle made of heavy brass? Or when the housewife tries to beat a red-eyed rabid dog to death with the flat end of a garden shovel? What about when some poor bastard has no other choice but to defend himself with a toaster oven, a half-chewed femur or a running chainsaw? The pen can be mightier than the sword, after all — especially when jammed into somebody’s carotid artery.
Rules to Remember
Improvised weapons are discussed on p. 136 of the World of Darkness Rulebook. When using found or improvised weaponry, a few permutations, such as the following, are worth remembering:Unless otherwise noted, all improvised weapons incur a –1 penalty to the wielder’s attack roll. For convenience, this penalty has already been incorporated into the Traits given on the weaponry chart and in the text below.
Like most melee weapons, any improvised weapon has a Strength requirement equal to its Size. If the user does not meet the minimum Strength, she takes a –1 (or more; see p. 21) penalty to attacks using that item.
For weapons not listed below, an item’s Damage rating is usually equal to its Durability or Size (whichever is lower), with an additional –1 for the improvised weapon penalty.
The Storyteller may allow an individual the chance to gauge which items around him would make the best weapons. The player should roll Wits + Weaponry to determine which object nearby is the most suitable choice. An exceptional success on this roll may allow the character to ignore the normal –1 penalty associated with using improvised weaponry. Assessing nearby objects with this roll, however, takes a full turn.
Tools, Power and Otherwise
Perhaps some of the strangest and most complicated “weapons” one can use are tools. It might be illegal to carry around a halberd or a hunting rifle, but what about a handsaw or a pipe wrench? Yes, a chainsaw is painfully obvious, but if the wielder is dressed in landscaper gear or is carrying a short ladder, he might not attract undue attention — at least not until he tries to cut his neighbor apart. Although obvious, a chainsaw or any other tool is more easily explained away than a battle-ax.Of course, people don’t usually go into Home Depot looking for weapons. Most times, a tool ends up as a default possibility for some unfortunate, unarmed victim. A man beset by unknowable things might lock himself in the shed out back of his house, scrabbling to get hold of something, anything, with which to ward them off. Whatever he grabs, it’s important to know just how this newfound weapon will act in combat.
An optional rule invoked at the Storyteller’s discretion is that a player may ignore the improvised weapon penalty (for tools only) provided her character has a requisite Crafts ••• score. This ability in Crafts may counterbalance and thus nullify the improvised penalty for tools used as weapons, as the character is arguably comfortable using them for whatever purpose, however grim. For most tools, this means +1 to the Damage rating listed below.
Found and Rigged Weapons
As mentioned, close combat is generally a short and brutal affair with assailants grabbing for whatever impromptu weapons are nearest. Such objects are unlikely to be actual weapons. Honestly, they’re unlikely to even be normal tools such as the ones mentioned above. So, how do you figure out the combat values for such seemingly mundane items?As discussed, the first thing to do is to determine whether or not the stats can be approximated in comparison to an already existent weapon. A frying pan is metal, but probably not heavy enough to serve as a mace. It’s likelier that a frying pan’s stats are closer to a wooden club instead. On the other hand, an iron skillet is sure to be heavier and denser than a normal frying pan, and probably does have the statistics of a metal mace. Most of this is a case of give-and-take, of making on-the-fly decisions about how closely a found object fits with the statistics of pre-existing weapon design. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of impromptu stats.
Some spur-of-the-moment weaponry doesn’t really match any of the current objects listed, however. Many of these improvised objects are listed below, and feature properties that make them unique. Feel free to pepper the battlefield (whether it’s a kitchen, an abandoned barn or a local watering hole) with these articles to help complicate close combat.
Bar-Stompings, Shit-Kickings
Not all fights end up as murderous freefor-alls in which one’s life is on the line. Bar brawls, domestic fights and back-room pugilism all come with the quiet understanding that the fighters aren’t trying to kill each other, and if anybody’s going to the hospital, it’s for a broken finger or stitches, not for a sucking chest wound.
The unspoken assumption is that a fighter doesn’t go for the rough and lethal stuff unless the scuffle has reached the point of no return. Usually, grabbing for such extraneous weapons takes the fight up another notch, and the fight becomes potentially fatal. Occasionally, a few items (bar stools, bottles full of beer, trash can lids or other bashing damage weapons) make their way into the fracas without elevating its seriousness, but bringing anything bigger into the fray means somebody might go to the hospital for an extended stay — or to the morgue for a permanent one.
Traits by Comparison
We can’t describe every possible object or tool in this chapter. If the item in question isn’t listed, feel free to compare it to the other weapons in this book. A fire ax is listed early on, but what about a fire ax handle? It would qualify as a wooden club with the same permutations. A French knife and a bread knife have minimal differences, and, therefore, both count as a knife that does 1(L), is Size 1 and features a Cost •. A pipe wrench would be comparable to a mace. A broom, rake or mop would most easily count as a quarterstaff.
Just remember that wielding such a item as an impromptu weapon causes the wielder to suffer a –1 penalty to his attack rolls, because such a creation is not meant to hurt people. Tools used as improvised weapons are not weighted appropriately, might not have useful grips and certainly aren’t designed for any kind of combat precision.
Scalding and Burning
Burning hot objects add a whole other realm of pain when employing impromptu weapons. What happens when a character grabs for a pot of boiling water, a sizzling skillet or a curling iron?
First, a character making an attack with such an object does so with a –1 penalty that is taken in addition to the normal penalty associated with improvised weapons. Second, the item does normal bashing damage (unless the weapon is edged, wherein it does lethal) per the successes on the attack resolution roll. However, the item also causes first-degree burns, meaning the subject also takes a single point of lethal damage on top of any bashing damage suffered. If an exceptional success is made, two lethal points of burn damage are taken. Note that these items aren’t actually on fire, and don’t run the risk of igniting combustible items.
Location, Location, Location
When considering the availability of found weapons, picture where the scene is set. Simply lumping the location into a certain category can provide you with a menu of potential ad hoc weaponry.
In a normal bathroom, combatants might be able to hit each other with hand mirrors, curling irons, shower curtain rods, toilet lids — or even jam toothbrushes in each other’s eyes. At a campsite, an assailant might attack his victim with tent pegs, grill accessories, a rusty machete or any number of small pots and pans. If a human, beset upon by a pack of hellhounds, hides in a janitor’s closet, what does she find there? A broom? An abrasive spray cleaner that might function like chemical mace? An extension cord she can use to strangle one of the things?
Taking a moment to consider the setting of the fight will go a long way toward helping you determine just what horrible tools of death and dismemberment are within arm’s reach.
Not all fights end up as murderous freefor-alls in which one’s life is on the line. Bar brawls, domestic fights and back-room pugilism all come with the quiet understanding that the fighters aren’t trying to kill each other, and if anybody’s going to the hospital, it’s for a broken finger or stitches, not for a sucking chest wound.
The unspoken assumption is that a fighter doesn’t go for the rough and lethal stuff unless the scuffle has reached the point of no return. Usually, grabbing for such extraneous weapons takes the fight up another notch, and the fight becomes potentially fatal. Occasionally, a few items (bar stools, bottles full of beer, trash can lids or other bashing damage weapons) make their way into the fracas without elevating its seriousness, but bringing anything bigger into the fray means somebody might go to the hospital for an extended stay — or to the morgue for a permanent one.
Traits by Comparison
We can’t describe every possible object or tool in this chapter. If the item in question isn’t listed, feel free to compare it to the other weapons in this book. A fire ax is listed early on, but what about a fire ax handle? It would qualify as a wooden club with the same permutations. A French knife and a bread knife have minimal differences, and, therefore, both count as a knife that does 1(L), is Size 1 and features a Cost •. A pipe wrench would be comparable to a mace. A broom, rake or mop would most easily count as a quarterstaff.
Just remember that wielding such a item as an impromptu weapon causes the wielder to suffer a –1 penalty to his attack rolls, because such a creation is not meant to hurt people. Tools used as improvised weapons are not weighted appropriately, might not have useful grips and certainly aren’t designed for any kind of combat precision.
Scalding and Burning
Burning hot objects add a whole other realm of pain when employing impromptu weapons. What happens when a character grabs for a pot of boiling water, a sizzling skillet or a curling iron?
First, a character making an attack with such an object does so with a –1 penalty that is taken in addition to the normal penalty associated with improvised weapons. Second, the item does normal bashing damage (unless the weapon is edged, wherein it does lethal) per the successes on the attack resolution roll. However, the item also causes first-degree burns, meaning the subject also takes a single point of lethal damage on top of any bashing damage suffered. If an exceptional success is made, two lethal points of burn damage are taken. Note that these items aren’t actually on fire, and don’t run the risk of igniting combustible items.
Location, Location, Location
When considering the availability of found weapons, picture where the scene is set. Simply lumping the location into a certain category can provide you with a menu of potential ad hoc weaponry.
In a normal bathroom, combatants might be able to hit each other with hand mirrors, curling irons, shower curtain rods, toilet lids — or even jam toothbrushes in each other’s eyes. At a campsite, an assailant might attack his victim with tent pegs, grill accessories, a rusty machete or any number of small pots and pans. If a human, beset upon by a pack of hellhounds, hides in a janitor’s closet, what does she find there? A broom? An abrasive spray cleaner that might function like chemical mace? An extension cord she can use to strangle one of the things?
Taking a moment to consider the setting of the fight will go a long way toward helping you determine just what horrible tools of death and dismemberment are within arm’s reach.